The wolf
by Amshea 3
Summary: A wolf, a woman, an heir, a curse, a treasure, a magic amulet... Jack is in for another adventure of a lifetime.
1. The wolf

Chapter 1 The Wolf  
  
[In this fic I have decided to mix the two things I like the most; pirates and wolves. And over to the same old boring tale; I don't own them... blah, blah, blah... (Wish I owned Jack Sparrow though, 'cause I know just what I'll be doing with him)  
  
Ok, this is in true Pirates of the Caribbean style with a curse, a cure and of course a lot of supernatural stuff. R rated for all the nasty and enjoyable things I'll put in here after a bit. Anyhow all I can say is enjoy.]  
  
Jack was back in Tortuga, drowning his sorrows in booze. He couldn't believe his misfortune, when his life was finally starting to resemble a real life this had to happen. Again.  
  
They had been on their way to Porto Pirato for a breather when suddenly they had been attacked from behind by another ship. She had seemingly popped up right out of nowhere and started firing upon them.  
  
Again he had to surrender the Black Pearl to the superior powers. He also had to surrender the crew for some strange reason. Perhaps they had plotted against him behind his back, the whole thing was downright odd.  
  
The ship, nearly the size of the Pearl had presumably emerged from between two large cliffs they had just passed and started firing at them, but it had seemed like they had missed the ship itself for some reason. The Pearl had been making poor speed and it didn't take long before the other ship had caught up with them and they were surely aiming for the people aboard the Pearl.  
  
Without much of a choice he had surrendered and by some strange reason he had just been thrown overboard. He assumed the rest of the crew had been thrown in the brig.  
  
Luckily he had been spotted by a passing ship and brought to Tortuga. The rest was, as they say, history.  
  
He had found himself the tackiest tavern and refused to move from his table ever since.  
  
He growled softly into his glass and was about to take another gulp when he felt something warm press slightly down on his thigh. The sudden change made him instantly look down.  
  
What was on his thigh was in fact the head of a large dog-like creature. It had a silver and black coat and looked up at him with large, trusting emerald green eyes.  
  
Not quite knowing how to handle the situation he merely placed a hand on the dog's head. It blinked and swallowed.  
  
He had seen the dog before down on the dock when he had left the ship last night. The local teens had tormented it and thrown stones at it without it even uplifting an eye at them, it had merely crawled away with its tail between its legs.  
  
Jack took pity on the dog and scratched it's dirty coat. "Seems like we're almost in the same boat, mate." He lifted the glass to his lips when the dog pushed his arm, making him spill his drink all over himself.  
  
But instead of getting angry with the dog he just muttered "had enough anyway" before he got to his feet.  
  
The dog took a few steps away from him while it wagged its tail, looking up at him with those trusting eyes.  
  
"Seems like it's just you and me, eh?" He paid for his drinks, noticing that it was more than what he had thought, a lot more.  
  
He went back to the room he had rented and sunk back on the bed and pretty soon fell asleep fully dressed from the intoxication.  
  
The dog stepped up to the head end of the bed and nudged at the pirate's cheek with its nose before it curled up on the floor next to the bed. Soon it had fallen asleep too.  
  
***  
  
When Jack woke the next morning with a rather tempered hangover the dog was gone. He didn't think much about it, it had probably just looked for a place to spend the night and had decided to scatter when the morning came. Again Jack was on his own.  
  
But now he was not without a plan. He was going to find a ship heading for Port Royal and see if he could get some help from the Turners, evidently William and Elizabeth had married.  
  
It took a while, but finally he was on a ship heading for Port Royal.  
  
Others would probably say that it was madness to head straight into the lions den as he was sure that commodore Norrington still wanted to prolong his neck, but he just had to risk that. It wasn't like he had many others to turn to.  
  
By nightfall the ship had reached Port Royal, which suited Jack perfectly since not many would notice him in the dark. He left the dock and continued towards the one place he knew that Will would be; the smithy.  
  
As he reached the place he saw a shadow to his left and turned to find the same dog he had encountered the night before. He assumed that it had followed him aboard the ship and was continuing to follow him out of some kind of loyalty. To be honest he had no idea what drew animals, he had never had as much as a mouse himself.  
  
He called the dog to him by snapping his fingers and the dog wasn't slow to obey the command. He patted it on the head. Perhaps it was a good thing that it had followed him, now he could present the Turners with a wedding gift.  
  
He pushed open the door to the smithy and found Turner himself working on another sword. Why was he not surprised?  
  
Will turned to the creaking sound of the door and wasn't sure if the sight that met him was a welcome one. "Jack Sparrow" he said and dropped what he had in his hands. "What brings you to Port Royal?"  
  
"I need your help."  
  
Will stared at him. "What kind of help?"  
  
Jack was just about to reply when Elizabeth entered. "Jack" she stated calmly.  
  
"Elizabeth..." he said with a smile. "I bring you a wedding present." He pointed at the dog.  
  
"A wedding present?" Will wasn't sure if he had heard correctly.  
  
"Aye, a wedding present. It is a very loyal dog, he-"  
  
Elizabeth started to snigger. "Firstly Jack, that is not a dog, it is a timber wolf, native to America, secondly it is a "she", not a "he"."  
  
Jack looked down at the wolf who was wagging her tail for him. "A wolf?"  
  
"You never did say why you came. Norrington is still on the warpath, you should not be here."  
  
"I have lost the Pearl again."  
  
"How?" asked Elizabeth before Will got a chance to say anything.  
  
Jack told them the whole story. "So now I need to find myself a new ship and a new crew and win her back."  
  
"Where do we fit in?"  
  
"I assumed that you were ready for a new adventure."  
  
"Well, you thought wrong." Will decided that his words were a bit harsh so he hastily added "sorry, Jack, but we have already been placed in a rather bad light after what happened last."  
  
"Please help."  
  
"Sorry, Jack."  
  
"Well, at least you have your gift." He turned his back on them and the wolf and left the smithy.  
  
Elizabeth started to snigger.  
  
"What?"  
  
"That man is incorrigible." She knelt down to the floor and patted the wolf on the head. "Dear Heavens, she is just skin and bones, it is a miracle this poor beast is alive." She shifted her weight and was about to pull the wolf to her when it suddenly uttered a cry and broke free from her. Then it headed for the best exit; through the window, scattering the floor with shards of glass. "Seems like she has grown attached to Jack."  
  
"Well, it is said that love is blind."  
  
***  
  
Meanwhile Jack had found his way back to the dock and was sitting on the edge with his feet hanging down. He sighed deeply. The ship he had come on was already gone and the ships in the harbour were heavily guarded. Besides, he could not take and bring a ship out on his own.  
  
Suddenly he heard a yelp and turned to find the wolf. "Go back to them" he told her. "They can give you food and a good home."  
  
The wolf trotted to him and rubbed her head against his chest, pressing her rather large body against his while she wagged her tail.  
  
"Ok, ok, you get it your way." He gently pushed her away and looked longingly at the ships in the harbour.  
  
The wolf lay down next to him and looked in the same direction like she was feeling the same. Then suddenly she jumped back up and ran off into the dark.  
  
He snorted. Finally she had taken to her senses.  
  
***  
  
When the dawn came he had retired to a room he had rented. He dared not do much now, after all he had a determined bloodhound on his heels and he was not talking about a charmer with fur.  
  
He lay sprawled on the bed when there was a knock on the door. At first he didn't want to open, but when the knocking continued he got to his feet and walked over to the door.  
  
On the other side was a young woman.  
  
"May I be of assistance in any way, miss?" he asked with a frown.  
  
"I can help you get the Pearl back" said the woman and stepped past him onto the room.  
  
"Please come in" muttered Jack as he closed the door.  
  
"I didn't think it an issue to be discussed in the hallway, sir."  
  
"Sir", that was something he hadn't been called in quite a while. "And how do you suppose you are going to help me get me ship back?"  
  
"I can provide you with a ship and hopefully a crew. I know who took your ship and why."  
  
"Who then?"  
  
"I beg of you to trust me, meet me on the dock at dawn tomorrow, at the first break of day. This is important."  
  
He had gotten a good look at her as she spoke and in spite of all the dirt she was buried under and the torn, ragged clothes it was evident that she was very beautiful. She had long black hair that obviously hadn't seen a comb in quite a while, porcelain skin under a layer of dust and dirt, but what drew his attention the most was her deep, dark emerald green eyes, like staring in to a bottomless pit in which there were no return.  
  
"You must meet me there, you hear?" She made to leave, but in spite of the manners he once had learned he grabbed her elbow to stop her. "Who are you? Why are you helping me? Who has taken my ship?"  
  
"You are Jack Sparrow, that is why I am helping you. You saved my father's life once, it is time to pay the debt. The person who has taken your ship is none other than the offspring of the monster Barbossa. My name will have to wait. Meet me there." She tore out of his grip and left.  
  
He was going to ask how that old butt ugly man could be the offspring of Barbossa, but he never got the chance to ask.  
  
That was the strangest visit he had had in quite some time. He pondered on it for a while. Then he returned to the bed. Not like there were much more to be doing around there.  
  
Later that day he dared to take a trip outside. That was the big mistake. He was on his way down to the dock when suddenly he was surprised by a group of patrolling soldiers that recognised him right away. In spite of the fact that he tried to run he was caught and thrown in jail.  
  
He hated that jail, he had seen the insides of it far too many times now and that blasted dog that had the keys dangling from its mouth just out of reach...  
  
Dusk fell, then it became almost pitch black outside and all he could think about was the noose that awaited him in the morning.  
  
Why couldn't he have stayed where he were and waited till the morning? That young woman had seemed sincere and trustworthy. She could have made him get away and instead he had thrown away his only chance. Well, that was fate for ye.  
  
He retired to the right corner and tried to get some sleep, but it was almost hopeless.  
  
Suddenly he heard a terrible racket and the guard came tumbling down the stairs.  
  
He sat up straight as the dog started growling.  
  
Pretty soon there was another growl coming from the stairs and a large black and silver head emerged with an impressive set of bared teeth as his wolf slowly approached the dog.  
  
Both canines were baring their teeth at each other and growling, both had raised the hair on their backs and their tails were standing straight up.  
  
The dog dropped the keys to the floor and took a few steps towards the wolf, that was when she almost literally flew through the air and knocked the dog to the floor.  
  
However it quickly regained its footing and bit the wolf in the side, making her yelp in pain and arouse her temper. She spun around and bit down over the smaller canine's neck.  
  
Jack had large difficulties keeping scores as the fight only accumulated from there, it was a frenzy of snares, growls, barks, teeth and blood.  
  
Finally the dog gave in and crawled away.  
  
The wolf picked up the keys.  
  
"Give them here, girl."  
  
She stepped over to him with the keys and dropped them at his feet before she spun around and disappeared.  
  
"Hey, wait" called Jack at her, but he knew it was no use. Anyhow, he couldn't worry about whether or not she was hurt badly, he had to be ready to go by the break of day.  
  
He knew it was cruel, but he was also sure that the wolf could manage pretty well on her own.  
  
[Sorry that the capture of Jack wasn't more detailed, I just found it not so very interesting and that it would be downright waste of time. Please don't hang me for it. There will be plenty more battles in the future.] 


	2. Captain Evelyn

Chapter 2 Captain Evelyn  
  
Jack headed for the dock at dawn as he had arranged with the woman who had shown up at his room the previous night. As he approached the dock he could see someone waiting for someone, but that person looked nothing like the woman he was meeting.  
  
But if that was a man it had to be the most petite man he had ever seen. He saw the person from behind, but he could see that "he" was dressed in maroon trousers and matching coat, long boots. The outfit was topped by a wide brimmed maroon with a tremendous black ostrich feather.  
  
Just the thing his former first mate, Barbossa, would have worn... something his daughter might have worn. He remembered little of that one's appearance, but the colour black popped up in his memory.  
  
Better act like nothing he thought as he approached the dock and who ever was standing there.  
  
"You are late" said a female voice as he passed the maroon one.  
  
He stopped dead in his tracks and spun around.  
  
She slowly lifted her head and he could see those emerald green eyes. "We must be careful..." she said and nodded in the direction of a couple of soldiers passing a bit further up the street. "Something you weren't last night" she added as she passed him.  
  
"Wait a bit" he said and followed after her. "Where is this ship of yours?"  
  
She pointed at a sorry rig in the harbour and Jack stopped dead in his tracks.  
  
"That thing? That is the Bonaventure, she is legendary... for causing her captains troubles. That ship is a magnet when it comes to misfortune. That and the fact that she is a wreck."  
  
"Aye" said the woman calmly. "That is why no one will blink or lift their fingers to stop us from taking her."  
  
"You are in other words saying that you don't really have a ship?"  
  
She stopped dead in her tracks and he nearly knocked into her. "The Bonaventure has been in my family for as long as I can remember and there will be no problem if we are to get caught, it is a ship I am familiar with and it is here, what more could you desire?"  
  
"Something that floats" muttered Jack.  
  
She gave him a short smile, something that by the looks of it she hadn't done in several years. "The Bonaventure will suffice. She is perhaps not that much to look at anymore, but she is a well known ghost ship that no one dares to get anywhere near."  
  
He understood where she was getting at so he kept his mouth shut and followed her aboard the Bonaventure without another word.  
  
They had just managed to hoist the sails when suddenly a sound made Jack curse and run for cover.  
  
The woman looked after him when she heard it too and turned around.  
  
"What are you doing, Evelyn?"  
  
"Captain Gillette, what can I do for you?"  
  
"Let's go back to shore now."  
  
"Why? I want to take her out. It is after all my ship now that my father is dead. He has been dead for several years and the least you could do is to let me take her out to honour his memory." Did that sound as lame as she had thought?  
  
"This ship is a wreck!"  
  
"It is such a beautiful boat... ship. I just want to take her out. You could make an exception in my case, couldn't you... captain?" she added as she ran a finger over the front of his uniform jacket with her eyes locked to his.  
  
He swallowed hard. "Miss Evelyn, if you desire a boat trip I can always arrange for you to be brought aboard one of the navy's vessels."  
  
"But you know that is not what I want."  
  
He cleared his throat and straightened up. "Miss Evelyn, a dangerous fugitive escaped from prison last night and we have reason to believe that he is attempting to leave Port Royal and so by boat."  
  
"Really? Who is this dangerous fugitive?"  
  
"The pirate Jack Sparrow."  
  
"Really? If I see him I'll be sure to notify you."  
  
"No, you are to stay clear of his path. You have fraternised enough with that lot. Of course against your will" he added tactfully.  
  
"Of course" she added in a voice barely more than a whisper.  
  
"I need to search your ship."  
  
"Of course" she said and Jack felt his heart catch in his throat.  
  
But Gillette had barely turned away when she took out her gun and hit him in the neck with it, making him fall unconscious to the deck.  
  
"Jack" she said in a unaffected voice. "We are leaving, please escort Mr. Gillette to the brig."  
  
"They rarely come alone" he said matter-of-factly.  
  
"They do when women are involved. It has to do with tact. Now, throw him in the brig. We'll dispose of him later."  
  
What a woman he thought as he dragged the unconscious form with him below deck, by the feet, not caring if Gillette hit his head against every step on the way down. He didn't want to be her enemy.  
  
When he got back on deck he just stared at her.  
  
"May I help you with something, Captain Sparrow?"  
  
"Aye, that you can." He stepped up to her. "You can start by explaining. Evelyn, was it? Does Evelyn have a last name?"  
  
"Not one that you need to know of."  
  
He tapped his index finger against his chin. "You are being awfully hostile. If we are to trust each other you will have to level with me."  
  
He face turned sad and pained for a split second before she sighed. "A long time has passed since I could trust a person. Forgive me, I didn't mean to seem hostile." She looked directly at him as she continued. "I will admit that I wasn't entirely sincere when I sought you out yesterday. Allow me to explain" she hastily added when he opened his mouth to say something. "I intend to help you get you beautiful ship back. In return I ask of you to put an stopper to Barbossa's evil plans."  
  
"Barbossa's evil plans?"  
  
"His daughter is in leach with the man who stole your ship. In fact she is the one who is behind it all."  
  
"And what plans might that be?" he snapped. He didn't like to be played for a fool.  
  
"She is planning on bringing her father back to life and I think that I need not give you the reason. That is why she allowed you to live, it wasn't her place to seek revenge upon you. Besides, you were bait."  
  
"Bait?"  
  
"She was sure that if she let you go you would lead her to me."  
  
He frowned.  
  
"Words travel fast, you of all should know that. If it came to my ear that you were in trouble I would come to your rescue."  
  
He didn't look the least more enlighted.  
  
She sighed before she returned her attention to what she was doing. She hadn't navigated all too many ships in her life and wasn't about to loose the Bonaventure to underwater cliffs or anything else in that nature. "To fully understand I feel that I need to tell you my story. Most of it is relevant. About twelve years ago my parents crossed the ocean to get to the Caribbean, the ship, Duchess was lost in a storm and I was just about the only one who survived. I was washed ashore on a deserted island where I was picked up by captain Fraser and his crew."  
  
"Fraser... The Hawk?"  
  
"One and the same. I stayed aboard the Sea Devil for the eight following years. During those years I learned a lot about him, including you saving his hide from the gallows."  
  
Jack smiled as he thought back on that incident.  
  
"Now, one night the Sea Devil was attacked by the Black Pearl. We were outnumbered and outgunned so Fraser struck a bargain with Barbossa and saved the rest of the crew from being slaughtered by offering him a piece of a priceless gold medallion, a medallion with extraordinary powers. He told Barbossa that the piece he gave him was the only piece he had, but I..." She grabbed the chain she wore around her neck and fished out something that looked like a broken piece of a saucer made of gold. The rest had to make up one huge medallion. "I have had this for as long as I can remember. Then, about six months ago I found out that captain Fraser had died and left me not only a huge secret, a map to the location of his plunder and his ship and another piece of the medallion."  
  
"The hawk left you his ship and his plunder, why?"  
  
"Haven't you understood that? How could my mother have gotten hold of that medallion unless..."  
  
"He was your real father" said Jack matter-of-factly.  
  
"Aye, that was the secret he had left me. He also stated in his last will and testament..." She barked a short laugh. "I never knew pirate wrote their wills... that if you were still alive I would give you a fair amount of that treasure."  
  
"So, miss Barbossa somehow knew about all this and uses me to get to you because she was sure that you would stay true to your word and help me. I assume that the medallion is the key in this little story, am I correct?"  
  
"It is said to hold great powers, one bringing people back from the dead. I choose to think what I want about that. All in all there were nine pieces that made up the medallion, I have two and Barbossa had one, that makes it six others scattered about all over the Caribbean. Since she now has taken your ship it is safe to assume that she has found the remaining pieces and is now going to put her plan into action."  
  
"One thing I don't understand; you said that your father owned this ship... How... I..."  
  
"I never said it would be easy, I don't know all the facts either. "However, my personal life does not concern you so all enquiries and thoughts you have regarding my past and my personal life I strongly suggest you keep them to yourself. It is a rather delicate subject I wish not get further into with you."  
  
"I have one question regarding the Barbossa family."  
  
"Go ahead."  
  
"Why are you the one who is setting out to stop her from trying to wake her father from the dead? Perhaps you want to get your hands on the medallion yourself?"  
  
"The medallion is the key to get the treasure. Besides, if the medallion is used for the purpose of bringing people back from the dead... let's say that what comes back can not be described as human in all the senses of the word."  
  
"So you are to play a good Samaritan?"  
  
"I understand that you don't trust and I can not say that I blame you, but no one else can or will stop them so I feel obliged to do so. Besides, I have some score to settle with the captain aboard the Sea Devil, Barbossa's accomplice. I hope that you can show at least some patience because answers will come sooner than you know."  
  
"You don't want to share the treasure, do you?"  
  
She locked eyes with him. "Gold is the last thing that drives me."  
  
He nodded, not quite believing her. then he turned his back on her and left the helm.  
  
"My full name is Evelyn Wolff, I am supposedly the daughter of Stephen Wolff and lady Helena Deveroux when I in fact is the bastard child of mentioned lady and the pirate captain Fraser. I was rescued and brought up by pirates from the age of ten till nineteen. I was then left in Port Royal to live with an aunt. I staged my own death about a year and a half ago to be free to do what I wanted and right now that is to help you get your ship back, to avenge my father and to stop Barbossa from doing a heinous crime. The treasure is at the bottom of the list. I also would like to get my ship back if that is not too much to ask.  
  
Jack had stopped dead in his tracks and was now smiling broadly. Perhaps they could be friends anyway.  
  
[I know that Evelyn's story is more than kind of "messy", but honestly... try to tell her story without using too many words and not making it boring and far more complicated than it already is. I beg for that those who read this story can forgive my poor explanation/story. The pieces of the puzzle will fall perfectly into place as the story rolls on.] 


	3. The continuing voyage

Chapter 3 The continuing voyage  
  
[Crappy title, but level with me]  
  
"Do you know where the Sea Devil's anchorage is?" Jack asked Evelyn.  
  
"I know the place in which the ritual has to be performed, so I assume that the answer to your question is yes."  
  
"And I suppose that we're heading for Tortuga to find a crew."  
  
"Partially right. We are going to Tortuga to rid the ship of her cargo and to pick up a man we need in order to make this suicide mission work."  
  
"So, you admit that this is a bad idea?"  
  
"Throwing yourself off a high cliff with razor sharp rocks below is a bad idea, this is a terrible idea, but it must work."  
  
He leaned against the railing and crossed his arms over his chest. "You are aware of the trap you are heading into?"  
  
She smiled. "She is looking for the remaining two pieces and I am looking for the seven others. Our paths are bound to cross sooner or later. If I go after her I am the one that has the upper hand. I am the one with the plan."  
  
"What about the fact that you said yourself that she predicted this?"  
  
Her face turned to stone for a bit. Then she smiled again. "Lucky for me she does not have her father's brains."  
  
"Who is this man you are picking up in Tortuga?"  
  
"Pedro Velasquez. I am afraid that you will have to seek him out for me, as I am going to be otherwise preoccupied and we are really pressed for time."  
  
"You are indeed a strange woman, miss Wolff."  
  
"Evelyn, captain Sparrow."  
  
"I'll call you Evelyn if you call me Jack"  
  
"Jack" she repeated.  
  
***  
  
The sun was well on its way down when Jack went to find this Pedro Velasquez. He didn't quite like the situation he was in, a situation he couldn't control at all.  
  
Evelyn Wolff was indeed a strange woman, a woman he wasn't sure if he dared trust. He had no idea what drove her and that made him a bit uneasy and he did not believe that revenge was what drove her as she had said.  
  
Well was she a cold woman, but not that cold.  
  
He liked her and that was probably the biggest problem he had. It would be easier for her to double-cross him without him knowing about it before it was too late.  
  
When he reached Velasquez's lodgings he knocked on the door. At first there was no reply, but after a while he could hear frantic Spanish mumbling on the other side of the door. Dear Heavens, what kind of ludicrous venture was he about to embark on?  
  
The door opened and a relatively young man appeared in the doorway. "What can I do for you, senor?" said the man.  
  
"Captain Wolff sent me" said Jack.  
  
"Ah, yes." He peered up at the darkening sky. "She won't be out tonight." He returned his attention to Jack. "You senor is Jack Sparrow. Captain Fraser talked a lot about you."  
  
"You served him as well, then?"  
  
"No, senor, but the senorita speaks of you both all the time. At least she did before the accident." A smile played on his lips. "Now she only want closure. So, shall we go then?" He turned around and slammed the door almost literally in Jack's face.  
  
"This is going to be real interesting" muttered Jack with a sigh.  
  
Five minutes later the man emerged with a rather large chest. "Necessary tools" he explained to Jack. "Help."  
  
Jack grabbed the other handle and helped the man down to the Bonaventure.  
  
When they got back aboard they discovered that Evelyn had not returned yet and that worried Jack a bit because he had no idea where he had her, what she was all about.  
  
"Captain Wolff will not be returning this night, senor" said Pedro as if he had read Jack's mind. "She'll be gathering a crew to take on the Sea Devil."  
  
"But she said-"  
  
"What the senorita says is not important, what she does and what she feels is important. She feels strong hatred for Zora Barbossa."  
  
"So, that is the woman's name?"  
  
"Si, Evy told me. She does not want to admit it, but the two were once friends. She does not like to talk about it, painful subject."  
  
"You know what, Pedro? I would much like to hear about this relationship these two girls had."  
  
"Si, senor. Long time ago they met in Porto Pirato, both young and in need for a friend of the same gender. Evy were after all always aboard the Sea Devil and Zora's mother were a bit too protective. They shared most secrets and stories. Till the day captain Barbossa attacked the Sea Devil and slaughtered most of her crew. After that the relationship was rather tense and they drifted further and further apart. Something more awful has caused bad blood between them, but no one knows what. Not wise to ask the captain questions. She will only get hurt. Hurt enough." Pedro just walked away before Jack got a chance to open his mouth.  
  
***  
  
The first rays of sun reached Jack's face and he jumped up. He had fallen asleep on deck, a terrible mistake judging by the aggressive headache he had. He got to his feet and then a strange feeling made him spin around.  
  
"Had a nice sleep, Jack?"  
  
Evelyn looked more tired than ever with dark circles under her eyes. The way she looked now it was a wonder that she was even alive because she looked like a skeleton with skin.  
  
"Pedro told me that he told you about my relationship with Zora. Now you know perhaps you understand why I am helping you. But know this; I am planning on killing her. You are my way to her."  
  
"I feel so used" he said in a mock hurt tone. "You still haven't told what she has done to you, only what her accomplice has done."  
  
"She has betrayed me in an unforgivable way and for that she will have to pay." She took a few steps towards him. "You have a chance to get off here, but I can not swear that I will be able to return your ship or to save your crew if they are still alive. You will still receive your part of the treasure."  
  
"Someone will have to stay and make sure that you stay alive. If this Zora is half as bad as her father you will be needing all the help you can get. But you will need a crew."  
  
She smiled at him. "You feel that you will need to protect me? I feel honoured, not to say flattered, but unless you don't want to help..."  
  
"You look like one good curse can kill you."  
  
"You have no idea how right you are. As for the crew, they are below deck enjoying breakfast, I suggest you do the same."  
  
"What about you?"  
  
"Go ahead, I will join you shortly."  
  
***  
  
But she never did. Hours went and no sign of her, but the ship was apparently in motion. The crew she had gathered were all from pirates to former soldiers. Even a sixteen year old boy.  
  
Finally he gave up and headed back on deck. There voices made him stop dead in his tracks and hide under the stairs to the upper deck to listen in on the conversation Evelyn were having with her first mate.  
  
"Turn back while you can."  
  
"Sorry, Charlie, I am too deep now. I can not go back. Besides, go back to what?"  
  
"People don't know. They think that you are a real lady. You are the child of a lord."  
  
"Supposedly" said Evelyn calmly.  
  
"The point is that you can have any man you want. Why are you doing this?"  
  
"Of the same reason. I can not have the man I want because the man I want is dead."  
  
"Pirate."  
  
"Nonetheless I loved him" she snapped.  
  
"Your father would have turned in his grave by those words, lass. He would be damned if he saw you with a scallywag like that."  
  
"You are missing the whole point, Charlie. The point is not that I supposedly can have any man I want. A lady has no real freedom to chose suitors, she is bound by etiquette. I don't want that life, I want the freedom to go where I want, do what I want and be with who I want. Besides, no man would ever want me if they knew the truth. I am only being realistic."  
  
"You should not mourn the death of Pat any more, it is not healthy to mourn for so many years. You should find another man, a woman in her best age like you should be at home, being pampered by her husband."  
  
"Right."  
  
"And why have you brought that Jack Sparrow aboard? Your father would have had a fit if he knew that you left Port Royal and sailed all the way to Tortuga alone with that man."  
  
She laughed and her soft laughter made Jack smile. It was so childish and innocent.  
  
"I do not fear Jack Sparrow. I know that he has a terrible reputation, but I am sure, I know that he is not that bad. My father would never have spoken well of him if he was a bad man. Barbossa was a bad man."  
  
"You weren't alone on a ship with Barbossa."  
  
"Jack would never touch me without my consent. Rape has never been one of his charges."  
  
"You know this because...?"  
  
"His criminal charges are stored away in the archives back in Port Royal. Let's say that they were not hard to access. Look, I need him to help me get Barbossa out of the way. He needs help to get the Black Pearl back."  
  
"I assume that you offered him a piece of the treasure as well?"  
  
"That was my father's wish. I know that you don't believe the treasure to be real, but the medallion is proof that it does. The treasure is buried not far from the place where Zora needs to perform the ritual to get her father back."  
  
"So, she is going to do it then?"  
  
"All things point in that direction. I will be glad when all this is over."  
  
"When you are dead, you mean?"  
  
Jack frowned. This was a twist he hadn't quite expected and there was also a long pause before Evelyn spoke.  
  
"I am hungry, I am tired, I can't take any more."  
  
"That is the real reason why you have brought that pirate aboard, isn't it? You expect him to finish the dirty work for you."  
  
"Not at all, after all I have nothing to loose. I can not die, a part of this terrible curse. All I want is some rest, all I want is a descent meal, but as long as this curse is hanging over me I will receive neither."  
  
"I am not sure if I believe it although I have seen it with my own eyes. Are you sure that this is what you really want?"  
  
"The damage is already done, I can never return to normal. Although the medallion is a key to lift the curse I am too tired to go on. If I hadn't been cursed I would have already been dead."  
  
"Does Zora know?"  
  
"She knows of the curse, but she does not know to what extent it goes. Perhaps now you know that I can not have a normal life. Now I just want to make things right before I die."  
  
Suddenly there was a loud bang and Evelyn made to leave the helm, but suddenly Jack appeared from the lower deck.  
  
"I'll handle it."  
  
"You think he heard anything?" asked Charlie.  
  
"He heard everything, but he will pretend not to have. There is still some gentleman left in him."  
  
***  
  
Jack hurried below deck and found Pedro buried in a heap of broken glass and wood. "What is going on here?"  
  
"It is that blasted ghost. He only obeys Evy, he does. I were down here, doing my experiments when he attacked me!"  
  
I'm in a bloody mental asylum thought Jack as he helped Pedro to his feet. One had a death wish and a curse hanging over her, another one was a superstitious madman and the rest of the crew in general were even below his standards. This was indeed a suicide mission. 


	4. The first encounter with Zora Barbossa

Chapter 4  
  
The first encounter with Zora Barbossa  
  
[On Jack's part. Thanks for the reviews, by the way.]  
  
Nobody spoke of what had been said on the upper deck for the next following days. They had been to Isla de Muerta to see if Zora had retrieved her father's body and the spirit darkened when they found out that she had. From there on the spirit of the crew hit rock bottom.  
  
Jack felt like a complete outsider, 95 per cent of the crew had sailed with the Hawk, the boy was the child of one who had. He knew neither of them and he didn't have the command of the ship, neither did Evelyn let him participate in anything aboard except take the helm when she wasn't there.  
  
But things weren't all bad. He had gotten closer to Evelyn the last few days after they left Tortuga. She apparently trusted him because she told him most of what had happened to her aboard the Sea Devil. After a bit she even loosened up enough to tell him about her connection with Zora, that they were best friends till she had seduced a member of the crew aboard the Sea Devil and caused him his death.  
  
Jack reckoned that this was the man she had loved and judging by the expression on her face when she spoke of it verified it.  
  
But neither mentioned the curse.  
  
One day, actually the only time Jack saw Evelyn eat anything, they sat in her cabin and enjoyed a extravagant meal. They started talking about this and that when the conversation slid in on their pasts and for the first time she told him the entire story about how she and Zora had the fall out.  
  
"We had just returned from Costa Rica and were practically just spending the money they had stolen when... Zora turned up and completely turned everything around. She... she and I talked about what we were going to do when we were older and the things we would do and stuff like that, pretty much all the things a nice lady never would discuss out loud."  
  
He smiled.  
  
"The conversation came in on Patrick, the captain's nephew... my cousin in which I had no idea about at the time... and I am sure that that sentence was very grammatically incorrect..."  
  
"If it makes you nervous and uncomfortable to talk about it you don't need to, we can always find another topic, a more interesting one... me."  
  
They both started to laugh. Two days ago they could not have had such a loose conversation.  
  
"I... need to talk about it. I need closure. Well... I told Zora that I loved him, but not the way everyone thought... what they still think. It was a platonic kind of love. I loved him higher and deeper than anyone or anything else. I would have done anything for him. He was the kind of man any woman would have for a brother, not a lover." She slightly blushed when she said the word "lover".  
  
"So, you weren't...?"  
  
"No, but people think we were." She smiled. "We used to sneak away, after all we were only children both of us, and play practical jokes or merely share secrets. But Zora saw him as a threat, she thought that we were planning on taking the relationship to the next level and in that case would push her out of the way."  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"She seduced him and being the kind-hearted person he was he felt that their relationship was more than physical. Then she staged an attack on her and he did of course come to her "rescue" and then she had him killed."  
  
He stared at her. "How do you know?"  
  
"Let's say that a little bird sang it to me. I will have my revenge, upon them both. I think now that you understand what drives me. As I recall you had great difficulties doing that before."  
  
Jack couldn't take more of this. He had had a soft spot for Evelyn ever since he first had laid his eyes on her and that soft spot had grown into something more... he thought that he was truly falling for this young woman and he had to confront her with what he had heard. He could not allow her to kill herself. He could not let her out of his grasp. But in order to keep her from her plans and hold on to her he had to know, understand and help her with her problem. "I thought that death was what drove you... the will to die."  
  
She sighed deeply and got to her feet. "I am fully aware of that you heard the conversation I was having with my first mate and I know that you also heard that I have a curse hanging over me."  
  
"That came to my ear, yes." He got to his feet as well.  
  
"Why are you acting like this?" She looked down at the floor. "You are nothing like the way you have been described. This is not the way this was going to be... you were supposed to be crude, asocial and totally uninterested in anything other than your ship. This is so wrong." She turned around with tears in her eyes. "Why are you being so bloody likeable?"  
  
He grabbed the brim of her hat and pulled it off before he dried away the tear that had ran down her cheek before he gently kissed her.  
  
He wasn't sure what surprised him the most; that she didn't struggle or that she sobbed.  
  
"You are making this all so very difficult."  
  
"That's the general idea, love."  
  
"You have no idea what you are getting yourself into."  
  
"Don't do it."  
  
"Why?" Suddenly her eyes darkened and it wasn't from passion. "So that you can have your way with me and then toss me away?"  
  
He opened his mouth to reply, but before he got a sound out she was gone. He sunk back down on the chair. The glass of wine in front of him suddenly looked very welcome and he downed it all before he released a deep sigh. It was kind of true that he had changed his behaviour to get closer to her, but he hadn't planned on tossing her away when... if he had his way with her, she was too special for that. She was not at all like the others.  
  
Well, if she wanted the real Jack Sparrow all she had to do was ask. And she had, hadn't she? He slammed the glass down before he got to his feet and went back on deck to find a frenzy out there.  
  
"What is going on?" He looked around.  
  
"The Sea Devil. She is attacking."  
  
He leaned over the gunwale and saw, to his great horror that she was right. There was no way in hell that this crowd could fight off such an enemy.  
  
The other ship was gaining on them. Fast.  
  
"One would think that they would have used the Pearl."  
  
"Barbossa is no fool. She knows that a ship with black sails would draw attention to herself. And why use the fastest ship of the Caribbean and be detected right away when one could use the second fastest ship and not be detected?"  
  
Unfortunately she was right.  
  
"There must be a way of escape..." Then something struck him and he ran up to her. "Didn't you have a death wish? Why don't you surrender?"  
  
"I would rather eat a barrel of live eels than die by her hand."  
  
"But the Bonaventure is a smaller ship, she should be shallower on the drop."  
  
"Aye, she is, but the Sea Devil has a flat keel." She gave him a look of exasperation.  
  
"Elizabeth managed to turn the Interceptor on the anchor..."  
  
"I am not Mrs Turner. Besides as I recall they blew up the Interceptor."  
  
"How do you know...?"  
  
"Never you bloody mind that!" She turned her head and saw that the Sea Devil was getting steadily nearer. "We will never escape this." The look on her face was of someone who was thinking hard. "Take the two pieces of gold and hide them well."  
  
He stared at her then he did as she said, after all that was a incredible display of faith.  
  
The Sea Devil fired the first shot and hit the Bonaventure hard in the stern frame with such an impact that Evelyn was sent forward over the wheel and down the stairs.  
  
"Someone take the helm!" she screamed, but they were so shit out of luck that they hit a underwater cliff and tore up the keel.  
  
There was an explosion aboard with panicking people. Not only were they under attack, but they were leaking so badly that they were sinking fast.  
  
When Jack got back on deck Evelyn had completely given up. She was sitting in the corner below she stairs leading up to the upper deck. He ran over to her. "We have to go."  
  
"Go where? We are completely in her mercy."  
  
"Isn't this what you wanted?"  
  
There was no longer any warmth in those brown eyes of his and this really made her feeling like shit.  
  
"Forgive me" she whispered as the Sea Devil were just behind them. "Tell her that I have drowned. I will rescue you later."  
  
Again, he didn't got a chance to object before she was overboard.  
  
***  
  
He was forcefully thrown in the brig with most of the crew, those who hadn't taken a huge risk by throwing themselves in the water filled with hungry sharks.  
  
"Jack!"  
  
He looked up and in the cell across from him was none other than-  
  
"Gibbs."  
  
"Can you tell me what's going on?"  
  
"I wish I-" He retreated when he heard that someone was walking down the stairs.  
  
And there she was, none other than Zora Barbossa herself. If she had been a man she would have been like the reflection of her father, but at least she had a few feminine features. They were few enough to see who her father was. She had long, platinum blonde hair and a pair of icy steel grey eyes that seemed to peer into one's very soul. She was dressed in a black suit similar to the one that Evelyn wore and on her arm rested a shabby black raven.  
  
"Jack, Jack, Jack." She said his name for each step she took closer to the bars.  
  
"I didn't know that we were on first name basis." He stared right back at her, neither of them backing down. "Captain." He spat out the word like it was poison.  
  
She smiled at him. "Where is Evelyn?"  
  
"At the bottom of the ocean" he replied like it was no big deal. "Two days ago" he added. He hoped that there were a slight possibility that there was a slight possibility that she would manage to get them out of this mess, but deep down he knew that he was grasping for straws.  
  
Zora started to laugh. "No, captain Jack Sparrow, your wee little missy have abandoned you to save her own hide. Surprising, but not unexpected, I assure you. Now, where is she?" Suddenly she became dead serious.  
  
"She is safe."  
  
She glared at him, apparently aware that she could not attack from that angle. "And where are the remaining two pieces of gold?"  
  
"There is one slightly sticky problem with that" he said as he started pacing on the other side of the bars while he made a few hand gestures that only Jack knew what were for. "She ordered me to hide them and I did... in a place where your ugly oversized, lopsided ass is ever going to get them for there is no way in hell I am going to let a two-bit, shabby, second rated pirate as yourself get your sticky, bony hands on them... savvy?"  
  
"An impressive speech, Sparrow. But you might as well give up trying to protect the missy because when the time comes she can not handle what is expected of her and she will run off with her tail placed firmly between her legs, leaving you and the rest to rot."  
  
"She would never do that!"  
  
Zora whipped around at Charlie in the opposite cell. "It has been over fourteen years since you were on the same ship as dear Miss Wolff. Ye have no idea what you are talking about." She turned around at Jack again. "You are outnumbered and outwitted captain Sparrow, what do you choose to do?"  
  
He locked eyes with her. "She is not to be harmed."  
  
"Jack, no!"  
  
He chose to ignore Charlie's plea.  
  
"You have no idea what you are dealing with here."  
  
"Done!" said Zora. "Anything else?"  
  
"I get the Pearl back. And a piece of the pie."  
  
Zora thought for a while. Then she smiled. "Of course."  
  
Jack ignored the glare he received from Charlie.  
  
"Ye are a smart man" said Zora as she unlocked his cell.  
  
"I surely hope so" he muttered back. "I could not care less about your plans. I only want my ship back."  
  
"Indeed." She escorted him back on deck.  
  
***  
  
He had hidden the two remaining pieces of gold onboard the wreck of Bonaventure. He knew those underwater cliffs like the back of his hand, the part of the ship in which he had hidden the two pieces of gold would not sink before the storm season set in. He just had to return for them a bit early.  
  
Once they were back aboard the Sea Devil Jack was sure that he was as good as dead because he saw no other use he could possibly be to Zora. But he was positively surprised.  
  
"Jack, Jack, Jack. I must agree with my father on this one. You are indeed a hard man to figure out."  
  
"As I explained to your father I am an dishonest man and a dishonest man you can always trust to be dishonest."  
  
"I knew that Evelyn was in for a treat when she finally found out what kind of man you really are."  
  
He smiled at her. "I never had much sympathy for goody two-shoes. Honestly. And unlike us she apparently gets out of the fireplace when it gets too hot."  
  
"Indeed."  
  
"But I think the little lady likes me and that she will eat of my hand like a puppy if I told her to" he said with a smirk.  
  
"You know not how right you are." She went up to the upper deck and finally Jack got some breathing space, the first opportunity he had to think since they hit those cliffs.  
  
He needed to get those pieces of gold back and he planned on doing that as soon as possible, but he needed the perfect opportunity to do so.  
  
***  
  
The opportunity presented itself sooner than he had expected, when they were dining together later that day.  
  
The meal passed in almost total silence and thankfully that scabby bird wasn't there to ruin his appetite. His brain was working overtime, but still he had no idea what to do or how to get out of this situation. Evelyn was no longer an option because she could not take on all these pirates by herself.  
  
"Would you like something a bit stronger than the wine?" she asked with a sugar sweet voice.  
  
He cleared his throat. "Why not?"  
  
"Would you mind?" She gestured in the direction of the bar.  
  
"Sure." He got to his feet and walked over to the bar. He poured two glasses of rum and walked back to the table, silently cursing himself for never having any poison. That would do very nicely right now.  
  
He stood right in front of Zora and looked down at her.  
  
She reached out her hand and ran it up from his belt to his chest without a word, but with a soft smile on her lips.  
  
He closed his eyes and felt his jaw tighten. He was usually rendered weak by the gentle touch of a woman, but Zora did practically nothing for him. He opened his eyes to find her standing closer than a foot from him.  
  
Her hand found the back of his neck and travelled upwards, into his hair and grabbed it to hold him there as she kissed him.  
  
His mind was racing. This was terribly unexpected and not at all welcome because he wanted to control these things himself. He had never been comfortable with sexually aggressive women. The man was the one who was supposed to take the initiative. But he had to go with it. He had to if he was to survive this and help Evelyn.  
  
He deepened the kiss and brought his hand up her back. He then used his weight against her and took her down to the floor. It was the first time ever he didn't really wanted to be doing this, but he had to let her have her way.  
  
She, in turn used her weight to get him under her and it didn't take long before they had both were out of most of their garments and she started riding him.  
  
It wasn't like he wasn't enjoying it at all, but he felt like he was betraying Evelyn. That was why he was such a passive participant. He hated what that sweet, innocent "girl" had done to him. She was the one who made this oh, so difficult.  
  
For the first time he felt anger and hatred towards her because what she had managed to put him through. Anger and hatred were emotions that were a bit more easy for him to handle and work to his advantage and so he did.  
  
He grabbed Zora's upper arms and flipped her under him. He was going to run the show from here on end.  
  
***  
  
He hurried getting his clothes back on before he looked down at Zora. He was sure that she was fast asleep. After all he had delivered a much better performance than he had had to. When he was absolutely positive she was asleep he silently walked over to the two pieces of gold when suddenly someone grabbed his wrist.  
  
He turned to find Zora with a gun in her hands.  
  
"Now, that is not very nice, Jackie boy." She motioned for him to start walking. "Love is such a strange gift, isn't it? It makes us do terribly stupid things."  
  
When they got back on deck he saw, to his great disappointment and total dread that she had taken him back to the same island her father had marooned him. Twice. Well, three was a charm.  
  
"You are not serious."  
  
"Oh, but that I am." She tied up his wrists.  
  
What Jack didn't see was the cowled figure near the bow, who kept constant watch over him and Zora.  
  
"You have worn out your welcome, Jack. Time for you to say goodbye."  
  
The sun had almost gone down and the hooded figure seemed rather nervous about something. Then, as Zora pointed her gun between Jack's eyes the hooded figure moved.  
  
"No!"  
  
It was a voice both Zora and Jack recognised. It was Evelyn. She started for them just as the last rays of sun gave in.  
  
Something terribly odd happened. It seemed as Evelyn tripped and fell, but out of the robes came a fully grown, black and silver timber wolf.  
  
Jack couldn't believe what he had just witnessed and he just stood there, gaping.  
  
"I was wondering when you would make your brave appearance, Evy" muttered Zora as the wolf made a magnificent jump. She slowly turned the gun from Jack to the wolf and gently squeezed the trigger just as another gun was fired.  
  
The wolf gave a soft yelp and fell to the deck like a sack of potatoes.  
  
Finally Jack was able to move. "Evy" he whispered.  
  
"Yes" said Zora casually, in a dull voice. "It's her." She walked over to the wolf and pushed it with the tip of her boot. "Not a particularly nice curse."  
  
"You killed her!"  
  
"Well... that is an affirmative." She turned to the man that had controlled the attack on the Black Pearl. "Please let her crew know that they are without a captain."  
  
One of the man grabbed Jacks shoulders.  
  
"He is not to walk the plank" said Zora. "No, he has managed to get off that island twice before. I am taking serious precautions. Put the equipment in the dingy" she ordered him. 


	5. Stranded

Chapter 5 Stranded  
  
Jack wasn't sure what feeling was the strongest; that of humiliation or that of pain. They had beat four poles deep in the ground and tied him to them. To top it all they had left a bottle of water at his right hand, barely out of reach. But the worst thing they did to him was to leave the wolf's body at the beach in clear view.  
  
She had indeed been shot twice. She had a bullet wound in the chest and one on the back of her neck. He could only see wolf's back from where he was lying and he was grateful for that. He couldn't stand to see those glassy green eyes and know that he had caused that.  
  
He just lay there and stared at the wolf and wondered why she hadn't had the courage to tell him this. It wasn't like he would hate her for it although it was a bit strange. He just wondered what she had done to deserve such a fate.  
  
The tide was slowly coming in and crept closer and closer every minute. He had completely lost track of time as he lay there wondering when the heat would become unbearable.  
  
Then the water reached the wolf and washed away some of the water, but then something very strange happened. As the water rushed over the wolf's head it bolted upright and sneezed.  
  
"Now, that's interesting" he muttered.  
  
The wolf turned around and looked at him as it slowly sat down with a look that resembled a beat poodle, with both ears dropping and watery, sorry eyes.  
  
"Evy" he said softly.  
  
The wolf shifted her weight before she carefully got to her feet and almost literally crawled over to him and sat down by his side like a dog that had been disobedient.  
  
"You should have told me."  
  
The wolf lowered her head. Then she got to her feet again and took a few steps.  
  
"Don't go away."  
  
But instead of doing so she started chewing on the ropes.  
  
When he was free he rubbed his sore wrists and was about to say something to the wolf when she suddenly ran off. "That happens a lot with her" he commented and made to run after, but decided against it. If she wanted to there was plenty of room to avoid him. Besides she could outrun him like that.  
  
Instead he sat down on the sand and tried to figure a way to get off this godforsaken spit of land.  
  
***  
  
About noon he found her sitting on a sand dune on the far side of the island, looking out over the sea with her coal black hair flowing freely in the wind. She had taken off her coat, west and boots. The blood red silk headband she wore under the hat was curled together in her hat.  
  
"You could have told me" he said as he sat down next to her. He could only see her profile, but it was enough to tell that she felt ashamed and sad. "I miss that smile" he said softly.  
  
"They will be back soon" she said as she pushed away some hair from her face.  
  
"I told you not to give her those pieces. She would never have killed you. I am immortal so it doesn't matter if it hurts like hell." She locked eyes with him. "Did you pay for this temporary freedom with anything else than the gold?"  
  
She knows he thought. He was sure that she liked him as much as he liked her and that if she ever found out what happened aboard the Sea Devil it would break her heart. If she ever found out there was little or no chance for him to regain her trust and then the possibility of having her would fly out of the window. "No" he lied.  
  
She stared at him for a bit with a stone face. Then she got to her feet. "We can forget about swimming, the ocean is crawling with bloodthirsty sharks."  
  
"We couldn't swim away even if we wanted to, it is too far to the next island."  
  
"Perhaps for you." She strode past him, but he whipped around and grabbed her wrist.  
  
"You could have told me." He noticed that his thumb was obscuring something just above her wrist and he pushed the fabric away to reveal the pirate mark. "You were a participant."  
  
"So shoot me." She wriggled out of his grip.  
  
"Evelyn, you must start trusting me."  
  
She spun around. "I "must" do nothing. Look, you wasn't supposed to know. Period... about any of it."  
  
"But now I know I would really like to find out why. Also about that tattoo."  
  
She marched back to him. "The curse was cast six years ago, Fraser did not leave me anywhere, I ran. I wasn't about to let him know that one of his crewmembers had been cursed by a mad Gypsy that thought I was the reason for her son's death. I was not the one who gave that boy that disease. As for the tattoo, I am not a whore anything of the kind. I was sold for another purpose. The pirate mark I cannot comment much, caught in action." There was tears in her eyes as she finished the sentence.  
  
"You have experienced much evil" he said softly.  
  
At these words she really broke down in tears and he held her head to his chest. He kissed her forehead and allowed her to cry out before he forced her to return to more pressing matters.  
  
"We need to find a way to get off this island."  
  
"You still have the bottle of water?" she asked against his chest.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"I want you to hold on to it, you need its contents more than I do. I can survive without it" she added bitterly.  
  
"Fishing boat" said Jack suddenly and pushed her aside.  
  
She turned around and saw the boat herself. It was most likely mussel fishers since these waters were full of black pearls.  
  
Jack ran down to the beach and waved with his arms. It was a goofy sight and it made her start laughing, but it worked. The boat headed straight for them.  
  
Once they were aboard the boat the captain, a skinny native Jamaican brought them blankets.  
  
"What happened?" he asked them.  
  
"Pirates" replied Evelyn.  
  
"Dear Heavens, you are lady Wolff" said a woman's voice from behind them.  
  
They both turned to find a huge woman with baggy pants and a shirt that looked three sizes too small.  
  
"I need to get to Costa Rica" said Evelyn calmly.  
  
"If milady wants to go to Costa Rica, then this is where this boat is going" replied the woman with a curtsey.  
  
"Am I not the captain aboard my own boat?" asked the Jamaican.  
  
"Am I not the wife?"  
  
"That's love for you" whispered Evelyn, making Jack bark a short laughter.  
  
***  
  
Later, when the boat drew nearer to Costa Rica Jack asked if Evelyn had a plan.  
  
"I assume that they are heading back to the island to finish you off. That is, Barbossa himself."  
  
"I assume that you are right, milady." He took of his hat and made a deep bow.  
  
"Cut it out."  
  
Both were looking out for any enemy ships as they drew nearer to the coast, but were no signs of any humans being there at all.  
  
They were brought as close to the shore as possible, but as there were many underwater cliffs there the captain dared not bring the boat too close so Jack and Evelyn swam the last piece into shore and headed into the jungle.  
  
Evelyn wiped water from her face as they hurried deeper into the vegetation. "Thank God I am immortal."  
  
"Why do you say that?"  
  
"If I weren't I would probably die from pneumonia or something. Before the curse I could barely get my hair wet before I started sneezing."  
  
He smiled, but she never saw it because she was walking behind him.  
  
"What happened, really?" He cast a glance over his shoulder at her.  
  
"To tell the truth, I have no idea. There was this young man, no more than 26 or so. He was partly gypsy and sought work aboard the Sea Devil. Poor idiot, probably had no idea what kind of ship she was. Anyway, Fraser gave him a chance. Something happened to the poor bastard because he got sicker and sicker for some odd reason."  
  
"Why on Earth were you blamed?"  
  
"Witches' mark."  
  
He stopped and she nearly crashed into him. "Is there any mark you do not have?"  
  
"I don't have the lily etched into my shoulder. Witches' marks are nothing but silly superstition. They are nothing more than birthmarks. It beats me how she found out because today that mark is practically invisible. My mother said that there were nothing wrong with me and I believe her to this day."  
  
He nodded and started walking again. "So, what happened next?"  
  
"Well, the last languish I would have known with or against my will is Romany. I had no idea what the old woman were talking about when we delivered the body back to the family. Something made the captain bring the body back instead of sending it to Davy John's locker. In case you wondered" she added. "Anyhow, since I had no idea what she was talking about, me thinking that I had brought shame on him in the words of... you know, so I couldn't really defend myself. Then the old witch said some abracadabra voodoo stuff and presto!" She threw out her arms.  
  
"Sorry"  
  
"Not as much as me. I was innocent, I have never hurt... anyone... intently. I had to leave the ship right away. I could not bare the others finding out. I was suddenly pushed back out in the cold, ashamed and alone. I returned to Port Royal where I managed to cook up some fish story... close to the truth. Only one difference... I said that Barbossa was behind it all. Well, I lived more or less a normal life till I found out that Fraser was dead."  
  
"He was your father, why don't you say that instead of using his name or title?"  
  
"Well... I loved him, make no mistake about that, but neither fathers I have ever had has ever been any good father figures. I was brought up by the crew, Fraser had very little to do with it. He only spoiled me with jewellery and other things that any girl would need."  
  
"Hush!" said Jack suddenly and both stopped dead in their tracks. There, below them, at the bottom of the slope were about half a dozen primitive cages tied together by plant material.  
  
"We have to free them" said Evelyn and made for the cages, but Jack grabbed her elbow and forced her down just in time.  
  
Barbossa was back! That ugly face was recognisable anywhere.  
  
Jack pulled Evelyn with him backwards and together they retreated to a cavern nearby, a cavern they had passed on their way there.  
  
"We must find a way to free them."  
  
He stared at her. "You are shaking. We have to get you out of those clothes before you freeze to death." He rolled with his eyes when he realised what he had said.  
  
"I can't die, remember?"  
  
"That's not a reason to suffer."  
  
"Where do you think they are keeping the ships?"  
  
"It's a lagoon on the other side of the dead volcano. That is probably where they are."  
  
"All is lost, then." She sighed deeply. "Time to pull in the oars."  
  
"Never."  
  
"Don't you understand? With the chief on one ship, presumably the Pearl, and the bitch on the other they are invincible."  
  
"In a battle at sea, perhaps, but we're on shore."  
  
"Aren't you forgetting something? The odds are terribly against us."  
  
"You are the one forgetting something. I am captain Jack Sparrow, savvy? I wager that we will manage to beat them as soon as the proper plan pops up."  
  
"In the meantime?"  
  
"In the meantime welcome home."  
  
She snorted. He had been right, she was almost freezing her butt off.  
  
He got up and gave her his coat, but something unexpected happened when he did so because as his hand brushed against her neck she grabbed it and locked eyes with him. Surely she was young and probably inexperienced, but that sign was not to be misinterpreted.  
  
Especially not when she got to her feet and looked deep into his eyes. She was waiting for him to make the "first move".  
  
He needn't be asked twice so he pulled her closer and gave her a gentle kiss.  
  
[cliffhanger? Are you kidding?] 


End file.
